This series was a sequel to the original Tiger Mask cartoon(and manga) and coincided with the debut of Satoru Sayama as the living Tiger Mask. New Japan Pro Wrestling licensed the character and put Sayam into the role. Sayama had extensive experience around the globe, wrestling in Mexico and the UK and incorporating elements of those styles into his matches. He debuted three days after the first broadcast of the new cartoon, complete with the same costume, facing Dynamite Kid, who he would go on to defeat for the WWF Jr. Heavyweight Championship, while also holding the NWA Jr. Heavyweight Championship. That popularity would outshine the cartoon.
The cartoon itself is typical of anime of the period, setting it apart from the more stylistic original cartoon. The original cartoon had more in common with Ikki Kajiwara's manga, with a "shetchier" style to it.
The new story features a new Tiger Mask, after Naoto Date has been killed rescuing a child from the path of a speeding car. Another orphan, Tatsuo Aku takes up his mantle. He soon finds himself facing an evil organization, bent on world domination.
This series has more of a superhero tone to it than the original and ran for 33 episodes, having far less of an impact that the original or the living Tiger Mask (Sayama). The animation is more fluid, though the story is less compelling and the only thing that really sets it apart from other anime of the period was the wrestling angle. As with the original, many actual wrestlers from the New Japan promotion appear in the cartoon, with promoter/star Antonio Inoki taking a stronger role than in the original (which was made during the days of the Japanese Wrestling Association, when Giant Baba was the star, with Inoki as his partner).
The series is enjoyable enough, though would more likely appeal to fans of Sayama, and wrestling in general.
The cartoon itself is typical of anime of the period, setting it apart from the more stylistic original cartoon. The original cartoon had more in common with Ikki Kajiwara's manga, with a "shetchier" style to it.
The new story features a new Tiger Mask, after Naoto Date has been killed rescuing a child from the path of a speeding car. Another orphan, Tatsuo Aku takes up his mantle. He soon finds himself facing an evil organization, bent on world domination.
This series has more of a superhero tone to it than the original and ran for 33 episodes, having far less of an impact that the original or the living Tiger Mask (Sayama). The animation is more fluid, though the story is less compelling and the only thing that really sets it apart from other anime of the period was the wrestling angle. As with the original, many actual wrestlers from the New Japan promotion appear in the cartoon, with promoter/star Antonio Inoki taking a stronger role than in the original (which was made during the days of the Japanese Wrestling Association, when Giant Baba was the star, with Inoki as his partner).
The series is enjoyable enough, though would more likely appeal to fans of Sayama, and wrestling in general.
